I cannot believe we have been at this for 11 months! I am so grateful to all the therapists out there that contribute to the monthly blog post, What Your Therapists Are Reading. This post and all the others contain a wealth of information for the readers. What I love about this blog post is that it is not just for therapists, but for anyone who is looking to work on a specific areas of them self. Chances are you will find something for you in one of the posts. Below I will connect to all previous months. For November, we have a range for you as usual. This months theme appears to be self-improvement, but there is also postpartum depression, codependency and so much more.
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert asserts that we all have creative potential, but in so many of us it lays dormant. When creativity is ignored it creates pain and destruction. She outlines how to reactivate our passion, and improve our lives. Gilbert’s beautifully optimistic book reminds us how important it is to find the magic in ourselves. You can connect with Rebekah Shackney, LCSW at http://www.rebekahshackney.com
The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte
I re-read this book at the end of every year to jumpstart my visioning process for the coming year. It’s been a game-changer for many clients who want to lead more purposeful lives. We use the reflections in the book to create visions and action plans for the year to come. You can connect with Gina Senarighi, MFT, CPC, CDWF at http://www.amplifiedgood.com/
Counterculture through the Ages: from Abraham to Acid House Ken Goffman and Dan Joy
By starting out with Prometheus, Goffman & Joy invoke a more archetypal frame on the development of countercultures than a lot of the writing devoted to the subsumation of subtcultures by the dominant one. You can connect with Renee Beck, LMFT at http://www.reneebeckmft.com/therapy-for-alternative-healers/
I recently finished reading Rising Strong by Brene Brown. It’s a highly relatable, intensely human account of the process we all find ourselves in when fall down (or fall apart) and the strength we encounter in getting back up: rising strong. It’s about the stories we tell ourselves, our private inner monologues, and the powerful transformative experience we can all encounter when we start to write down and sit with those stories. First in their vulnerable “shitty first draft (SFD)” format and then through the process of revisions. It’s a powerful book. You can connect with Rebecca Wong, LCSW Relationship Therapist and Consultant at Connectfulness.com
Facing Codependency by Pia Mellody
Pia does a great job of explaining codependency and where it stems from in the narrative of our lives. It is very comprehensive and detailed and does a great job of describing the issue but also in giving hope to those who struggle with codependency. You can connect with Olivia Pelts, MA, NCC, LPC Intern at www.humanwillperform.com
Terra Nova: Global Revolution and the Healing of Love by Dieter Duhm
While psychotherapy addresses healing on the individual level, Duhm encourages us to consider the diseases that psychologically afflict us from a cultural, global perspective. Terra Nova explores how to build new communities or “healing biotopes” that eradicate fear and celebrate the transformations that arise from fulfilling our basic human needs for trust, love, and connection. A read that Inspires us to challenge the core beliefs and cultural norms that have been formed though centuries of war, patriarchy, and violence, to risk a paradigm shift that will heal the collective and fulfill the ideal of heaven on earth. You can connect with Katrina Burgos, LCSW at katrinaburgos.com
For The Love: Fighting For Grace in a World of Impossible Standards by Jen Hatmaker
“For the love” is basically a phrase of exasperation used by the author in response to the impossible standards we (and society) set ourselves up against. Bemoaning lunchbox sandwich dolphins on Pinterest, decrying fashion ridiculousness, outing haters, and sharing the trauma of turning 40, the Austin, TX based Christian author writes in an endearing, funny, ‘wish you were her friend’ tone. You can connect with Krista Miller at www.krista-j-miller.com.
The Dark Side of the Light Chasers by Debbie Ford
Beautiful book! Debbie Ford encourages us to get to know our own darkness and explains how a lot of our so called defects can be turned into strengths when they are displayed in moderation. You can connect with Diana Castano, LMHC at www.thepowerinsideyou.com
Seena Frost describes the process of creating one’s own ‘deck’ of 5×8″ collages, each depicting images of one’s personality, archetypes, energies and community. I am a new SoulCollage® facilitator, and will be presenting a workshop for the first time. You can connect with Claudia Trevithick ATR-BC, Registered Psychotherapist at www.trevithickcreativetherapy.com
This book is for the husbands/partners who have a partner that is struggling with postpartum depression. It is a very quick and easy read. It is a bullet point form and gives practical suggestions. You can connect with Jessica Fowler, LCSW at www.jlfcounselingservices.com
This is a great list! I have always been one to keep a list of books to read. This blog post just allows me to keep it on the internet and share with others. I hope you all find it as useful as I do for myself. If you have missed a month, no worries. You can check out the previous months of What Your Therapists Are Reading: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, and October. If you are a therapist and would like to provide a suggestion, please feel free to email me at JLFCounselingServices (at) gmail (dot) com.
Happy Reading,
Jessica Fowler, LCSW
This blog post is for informational and educational purposes only.